Spiritual, not religious - It's not splitting hairs. My colleague called me a religious fundamentalist. Neither is correct. I have yet to find a religion that encompasses my curiosity or allows enough tolerance not to offend parts of my soul. And a fundy? REALLY? Yikes. Name calling, ah - the bane of intelligent discourse.
I'm spiritual, not religious. Do I practice certain rituals? Yep. I go to church every Sunday. I use a Buddhist meditation technique, but I also use a Hindu mantra at times. I read the Bible and the Koran regularly. Right now, I am reading the Westerner's guide to the Gita. I'm not indecisive. I follow Christ, but at the same time, I am convinced that human limits cannot possibly express or possess the entire truth about God in any one book or tradition.
Do I believe in evolution? Not sure - seems plausible, but only to a certain extent. There is very little separating humans from monkeys in terms of DNA, and yet, we are so profoundly different. There's an imprint of the Divine in every aspect of creation, but especially humans. Our potential is untapped for the most part, and even what we see now is incredible and amazing.
Do I believe in Creation? Seven literal days? Uh, no - but then again, I believe that time is a human invention. God doesn't do time. Its that whole everywhere at once, thing. And - theory of relativity ... what's moving, what's standing still? Why are we expanding?
Big Bang? Perhaps - but again, insufficient explanation. Where's all this order come from? What happened to the chaos?
It's actually the science that drives my spiritual beliefs. Maybe someday something will compel me to reconsider, but I doubt that very much. I am just as astounded by my colleague's atheism as he is by my certainty that there is indeed a Higher Power.
How often do we ask questions in science, even when there's no firm, quantifiable, causal relationship? I can't prove there's a God, but that doesn't refute God's existence.
The intricacy of Creation is in itself a testimony. The more I learn about the human body, the more I am amazed at how well it functions when there is so much potential for things to go wrong. Health intrigues me far more than illness.
And as for the presence of evil in the world - that doesn't refute the existence of a God, either. Dark and light are contrasts. One does not negate the other.
The existence of evil doesn't prove God is absent, but it does raise questions about God's nature, our nature, and the way they interact.
How easy it is to simply turn your back instead of asking more questions. Be skeptical - of course you should! How could anyone claim an authenticity of faith or belief without admitting doubt? There's just no way. Doubt forms seeds of knowledge.
Seek and you will find was not a one-time only offer. The Greek translation of that particular passage uses a perpetual tense - KEEP ON seeking, KEEP ON asking ...
Stop being lazy and close-minded with your insults. Tolerance is such a better option. I suppose I wasn't being all that Christian when I said I would pray for you - nope, that was the sarcastic, fallible side of my human nature coming through. I will pray for you, but it shouldn't be said as a threat or because I knew it would infuriate you. BUT - in all honesty, I am gratified that it did!
Am I being immature? Yep. A little nasty and condescending? Yep
BUT ...
"Stupid?" Aha - you might want to reconsider, at least from an academic perspective. Put my CV against yours and we'll talk about stupid.
You didn't appreciate the Biblical quote that started my lecture on light? Tough noogies. The Bible is a legitimate work of literature, and so is the Koran. I quoted that too, just in case you were just too disturbed to hear it!
"To seek the light of truth, while truth the while
Doth falsely blind the eyesight of his look.
Light, seeking light, doth light of light beguile;
So ere you find where light in darkness lies,
Your light grows dark by losing of your eyes."
Doth falsely blind the eyesight of his look.
Light, seeking light, doth light of light beguile;
So ere you find where light in darkness lies,
Your light grows dark by losing of your eyes."
That's Shakespeare speaking, not God - Love's Labor Lost.
Get your face out of a book every once in a while, look at the world's intense beauty and then tell me of your doubts. Doubts, yes - certainty, no.
Until I find evidence to the contrary, I am far happier believing God exists. Ask more questions about the nature of this existence? Oh yes, every day - but to shut the door on it would break my heart.
And if that makes me stupid, I am glad to hear it.
BTW - despite my little dig about praying for your soul, I didn't resort to name calling to try and prove my point.
If you're right, I've wasted time in asking questions. If I am right, you've missed out on so many potential answers.
